IronBirds come home, walk off Game 2 of doubleheader to salvage split with Asheville

Randy McRoberts, The Aegis, Bel Air, Md.
·3 min read

Aug. 18—The Aberdeen IronBirds opened a seven-game High-A South Atlantic League homestand against Asheville with a doubleheader Tuesday night at Leidos Field at Ripken Stadium.

The 'Birds split the action, losing the opener, 11-4, but rallying to win Game 2, 2-1, in walk-off fashion.

"Ignacio (Feliz) did a great job for us, pitched five-plus strong innings for us," Aberdeen manager Roberto Mercado said of his Game 2 starter. "Velocity was up and that's something we've been talking about for a while with him, let's get it right in the first inning, and it was impressive."

Feliz was solid for three innings, allowing just one hit and striking out five. In the fourth, though, leadoff hitter Kenedy Corona hit a long home run to put the Tourists ahead, 1-0.

Feliz pitched into the sixth but didn't factor in the decision. He allowed three hits, while striking out 10 and he hit two batters.

Asheville starter Cesar Gomez was equally good. He shut the IronBirds out on one hit over five innings, striking out nine.

Tourists reliever Joe Betances had a different fate.

The IronBirds (66-43 overall, 23-20 second half) loaded the bases in the sixth with one out, but Betances got out of the inning unscathed.

In the seventh? Not so lucky.

Betances hit leadoff batter Isaac Bellony and Chris Givin followed with a ground-rule double. Davis Tavarez singled in Bellony to tie the game.

A strikeout and intentional walk brought up Luis Valdez with the bases loaded. Valdez took full advantage of the situation, hitting a ground ball single toward the hole at first, sending Givin home with the winning run.

"We had opportunities in the sixth inning, didn't come through, and this team continues to fight and compete," Mercado said.

Reliever Alex Pham (4-2) picked up the win with an inning and a third of work. Pham walked a batter and struck out two.

Game 1

Aberdeen jumped ahead with a three-run first inning, but Asheville put together a pair of crooked-number innings to win easily.

The IronBirds big first inning came with one out. Back-to-back walks set the table for a Billy Cook RBI double.

Donta' Williams bounced a ground ball single through the right side, scoring two more.

Aberdeen was only able to score one more run in the game. Heston Kjerstad reached with a two-out single in the fifth and scored on a TT Bowens triple.

The run pulled Aberdeen with a run, 5-4, but Asheville answered with six runs in the bottom of the inning. Zach Daniels, who drove in the Tourists' first run in the second with a blast over the 404-foot mark in center, singled in the first run.

Cristian Gonzalez added a two-run single, Luis Guerrero hit a two-run triple and Kenedy Corona drove in the sixth run with a single.

Williams reached by walk to open the Aberdeen sixth, but Asheville reliever Christian Mejias set down the next six batters, four by strikeout, to end the game.

Aberdeen starter Houston Roth (8-4) took the loss. Roth allowed six hits, a walk and five runs, while striking out five over four innings. Reliever Thomas Girard had a tough outing. In a third of an inning, Girard gave up five hits, a walk and six runs. Nick Richmond closed the game with 1 2/3 innings of work. Richmond gave up one hit and struck out two.

The series will continue Wednesday night at 7:05 p.m.